


Brush of America

by orphan_account



Category: Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Artist Steve Rogers, Assassination Attempt(s), Eventual Smut, Human Experimentation, M/M, Non-Serum Steve Rogers/Winter Soldier Bucky Barnes | Shrinkyclinks, Post-HYDRA Reveal, Slow Burn, Super Soldier Serum
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-06-02
Updated: 2016-06-01
Packaged: 2018-07-11 18:03:28
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,468
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7064323
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Steve Rogers is frail, skinny and artistic. He's used to medical trials, but his current one seems different. For once in his life, Steve Rogers is content, until an assassin makes an attempt on his life.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Brush of America

Wild strokes of a brush smeared a canvas with paint, the bristles having already been stained with other pigments. A foreign eye may have thought his strokes to be random and without purpose, but Steve had an picture on his eye. Ever so slowly, the picture was becoming a reality on the canvas before him. Yellows, grays, reds, and blues blended together to make the painting; A blonde faceless man on an operating table being manipulated by puppet strings. Maybe it was a subconscious look into how Steve really felt, but it was actually just a dream, a nightmare actually.

  
  


Tunnel vision focused his attention on the piece being created, enough so that he almost missed the vibrations reverberating through a wooden table. Skinny hands stained with paint reached for the device, avoiding a piece of wood that jutted out dangerously. Maybe it was time for a new table, one that wasn't used as a make-shift palette. Natalie's friendly face was on his lock screen, along with a text message, a reminder.

  
  


**Natalie. R:**   _Your appointment is in five minutes, I hope you're in the waiting room washroom._

  
  


While anybody else would have taken her words with offense, Steve shrugged it off. It was Natalie's way of caring, and it's not like she really believed he was in the waiting room washroom; They both knew better.

  
  


**Steve. R:** _ OMW, be there soon. _

  
  


With flecks of paint still dotting his pale arms, Steve pushed them through his coat that was just a few sizes too big, even if it was the smallest adult size. Most of the clothing smaller than that were for children, and obviously so. Custom sized clothing was too expensive, student loans were bad, but hospital bills were even worse. Why did it cost so much to live? Maybe free health care would become a thing soon, and Steve really hoped it did. He was an example of a completely legitimate person that would benefit from it. Canada wasn't so bad, and it wouldn't get so cold if he stayed close to the border, but he wouldn't be leaving until his current medical trial was over. It was part of the encyclopedia sized contract and waiver he signed before starting the drug therapy. Steve didn't get a lawyer to skim it over, as he trusted the person that suggested it to him.

  
  


The air in the hallway was dirty and humid, not enough so to cause an asthma attack, but enough so to warrant concern. As a result, the white window frame was weakly hauled up by muscled arms, causing more of a sweat than Steve would ever dare to admit. The city air wasn't exactly fresh, but it was fresher than the mass inside. His lungs happily drunk down the cool spring air, rejuvenated after being forced to breathe the stale air of his apartment.

  
  


After indulging himself in the freshness, Steve carefully continued down the stairs, hoping to not trip. The last thing he needed was a broken bone, especially since the pre-trial was over today, which had led him up to starting the real thing today. It was a concoction of drugs that would supposedly heal his asthma while also straightening out his spine. Steve had no idea how a miracle of that grandeur would ever become reality, but bills needed to be paid, and the company was paying enough to support his art hobbies. He had stopped worrying about dangerous things happening during drug tests, as this one was basically just a legal thing. Apparently they had already proven that it was safe, and just needed to go through standard FDA testing.

  
  


Thankfully, Steve wasn't allergic to pollen, which would have made life a lot more complicated. He appreciated having the chance to observe the vibrant colors of spring, it made the artist in him happy. While autumn was his overall favorite season, spring-tailed close behind. There was a beautiful tree planted in front of his building, and it was in bloom too. As he mounted his classic red bicycle, a pink flower from the tree floated down into the helmet. Shrugging, Steve fastened it to his head without bothering to remove the pedal.

  
  


Steve had memorized the route by now. Around the park and under an overpass before crossing a heavy intersection that led right up to the clinic. It wasn't a hospital, and to be honest, the outward appearance was shifty and intimidating at first, but the inside was nice enough to eventually dismiss his concerns. A car beeped at him for taking too long at the crosswalk, reacting instantly with a genuine apology.

  
  


The gray concrete building was tall and menacing, but he pushed back vertigo and stared back down to the glass doors. Steve entered, waving at the well-dressed doorman.

  
  


“Nice to see you, Sam!”

  
  


The man chuckled, before motioning his hand to give direction to a different elevator than usual. Huh, the other one was under maintenance, so maybe Steve would just take the stairs. The metallic double doors belonging to the elevator neighbored the red one which led to the stairs. It was a tough decision, but Steve didn't fell like having an asthma attack, so the elevator was the right choice. Before he could press the 'up' button, a ding alerted him to the cabin's presence.

  
  


Steve caught sight of Natalie's curled red locks as soon as the doors began opening. He feared her outrage, in a not entirely serious way of course.

  
  


“Hurry up now, you're making the good doctor wait.”

  
  


He laughed before entering alongside the redhead. She wore a black pencil skirt along with a buttoned up white business casual shirt. It was weird to see his nurse dressed like that, but he dismissed the worry. She had probably just returned from a meeting or something and didn't want to be late herself. Natalie pressed a button which took them to the seventh floor like usual, the elevator started with a slight lurch before ascended. There was no elevator music, but instead, a surveillance feed of the lobby played on a small screen installed on the dashboard. It was peculiar, but fun to watch all the same.

  
  


“Sorry, I had tunnel vision brought on by creativity. Nice outfit by the way.”

  
  


She nodded before silently laughing, smoothing the wrinkles from her skirt.

  
  


“No problem. I'm here straight from jury duty, so I can't exactly comment on your situation either.”

  
  


The elevator doors opened after a satisfying ping, both of them walked out into the floor that looked like a mix between a laboratory and a hospital ward. Looks were cast his way, causing Steve to shift uncomfortably. Eyes flicked over to him, before they continued doing their work. Any kind of attention at all made Steve blush, so he turned away from the workers to prevent further humiliation. It was worse enough that some of them had seen him in only his underwear, but at least the monitoring went no further than that.

  
  


Natalie seemed to have noticed his discomfort and attempted to reassure him.

  
  


“They're not judging you, but just excited to see how their invention is working.”

  
  


That definitely did not make Steve feel any better. Being a science project was something he became used to, but it still didn't make it feel good exactly, but at least he had the chance to test out this drug. Maybe it would work, maybe it wouldn't. The blonde was betting on the latter, given his past history with experimental drugs.

  
  


“I hope that wasn't supposed to make me feel better, but hey, being a science experiment is fun.”

  
  


He tacked on a pinch of sarcasm at the end of his sentence, for full effect of course. An amused look played across the face of his nurse as she led him down the laboratory halls. They were headed towards an office Steve was all to familiar with. It was a cozy place, but quite sterile and bare. It made him feel clean, and on edge. Dr. Banner had said he had White Coat Hypertension, but that was wrong, Steve was not afraid of doctors, he had practically grown up with them.

  
  


Natalie opened the door, motioning for Steve to enter. He did, before taking a seat in the chair across from Banner's desk. From hell knows where, Natalie pulled a Stark-Pad. She entered her passcode before typing and clicking. The sound was calming, in strange way, like the sound of high heels clicking down a long hallway. She sat down in a chair at the back of the office, sighing before clicking the power button as the door opened.

  
  


“Good to see you, Mr. Rogers. How are the pre-trial meds making you feel?”

  
  


Steve chuckled, before scratching at his neck. The arm on his coat rode up, showing off a bright blue speck of paint. The blonde didn't really care, but he rolled down his sleeve anyway. It wouldn't be good to give anyone material to tease him over.

  
  


“Not much really, I still feel like my self. Nothing strange has happened, if that's what you're asking.”

  
  


A content look grew upon the face of the doctor, who scribbled down something on his chart. It was wide open on the dark mahogany desk, but Steve didn't really feel like reading. In all honesty, he really didn't care or want to seem snoopy by taking a peak. The blonde was sure his doctor would tell him anything important anyway. From what he could tell, Banner was a good man. It may have been nothing, But Steve sometimes caught Natalie sharing a look with Bruce, it probably wasn't possible, but he still shipped it nonetheless.

  
  


“That's great! It means you're ready for the real stuff now. The pre-trial is sort of like a test to see if your body can handle the new drugs.”

  
  


Did this mean the drugs were working? Probably not, because from what the man had said, it was a simple test, which he had apparently passed. It was always exciting to go on an experimental drug trial, even if he knew the outcome would be unfavorable. Maybe it was a masochistic side that continued to sign up for trials, knowing he'd go into a depressed state when its inevitable failure rolled along. Regardless, this felt different somehow, more so than any of the other ones he had been on so far.

  
  


The doctor got up from his chair, tightening the neck of his tie. He made for the door, opening it for Steve to exit again. It was a short visit, but he'd probably be in the lab for longer.

  
  


“So um doc, what happens now?”

  
  


Natalie trailed behind them, quite silently. She had that mysterious yet composed air about her, Steve couldn't quite place it. Maybe his character detection was wrong, but the girl almost seemed dangerous in the way she held herself. The three of them rounded a corner, before entering through another set of plastic doors.

  
  


Steve had never seen a chair that looked so ominous, and he had seen an electric chair in a museum. They had probably tried to make it less intimidating by adding black padding, but in a strange way, the padding just made the chair look even more dangerous. A friendly looking lab worker was organizing what appeared to be vials of bright blue liquid, in which the vials were almost shaped like those gel pens that had liquid inside.

  
  


“You're gonna need to take off your shirt Steve. There's a special way we administer the drug. An oral version has yet to be developed.”

  
  


He had always been uncomfortable in his body. You could always see and count every single rib, while also managing to balance a ruler between his two cheekbones. Women would probably kill to have his body, but Steve was certainly not happy with it. He found the dip of his collar bone to be disturbingly deep, and the skin that stretched between his bones absolutely revolting. Regardless, he stripped off his shirt, shuddering at the cool air that enveloped his bare chest. Goosebumps were forming, and the specks of paint that decorated his arms seemed jarring against his too pale skin.

  
  


Natalie seemed disinterested, tapping away absentmindedly at her tablet.

  
  


“Sure, just hope I won't be restrained for too long.”

  
  


Dr. Banner chuckled, before guiding Steve into the black chair. Attached to the arms were fasteners attached to pads of some sort, each having a loading dock for a shape similar to that of the blue vials. No restrains came, and instead, the lab assistant docked one vial on  each side. They both watched the blue liquid drain into the pads, Bruce glanced towards the blonde.

  
  


“There are no restrains necessary. At injection, it won't be any more painful than say, four needles at once. I know it sounds bad, but it's probably better than your back pain. We're going to lean the chair back. You can squeeze the arm rests if it makes you feel any better.”

  
  


Even if it made Steve feel like a child, the voice of this doctor was always calming, no matter the subject of his speech. If he wasn't a doctor, that man could have easily landed a job as a voice actor or some kind of radio voice. As if on cue, with a wink from the doctor, the back of his chair reclined. Steve didn't use the armrests, and instead, he welcomed the recline, and also happily greeted the feeling that things were going to change from this point.

  
  


“So, when are we shooting up?”

  
  


The joke didn't sound too humorous to its creator, but the doctor chuckled, genuinely so. Bruce shook his head, scratching his neck.

  
  


“Now, I guess.”

  
  


The lab assistant removed the empty vials from their dock, and placed a cap over its point of entry. Gently, the assistant lowered the left pad to hover just above Steve's bare chest, the second coming shortly after. Bruce approached a panel on the chair, making reassuring eye contact with his patient.

  
  


“3......2....”

  
  


As usual, the doctor injected before the countdown reached zero. It always confused Steve why they'd do that. If anything, it would probably just make most people less trusting of doctors. But then again, a lot of people hated needles, even if it was totally irrational.

  
  


He winced at the pain, and then at the feeling of the blue fluid spreading through him. It was a warm feeling, yet overbearingly present at the same time. Steve swore he could feel the drug coursing through his veins. The feeling grew weaker as the cocktail spread itself through him, and then the fatigue and nausea hit. It was disorienting to be horizontal while feeling this sensation that he never had before, but it was tolerable all the same.

  
  


“Is it normal for me to feel like shit?”

  
  


Once again, a smirk became present on the face of the doctor, who checked something on his chart before glancing at the lab assistant, who stared back excitedly.

  
  


“At first injection? Of course it will, but the feeling will eventually dissipate. After this though, you will feel an ache in your joints, skin and bones. It's your body getting accustomed to the drug, but since we don't know how you'll react for one-hundred percent, Natalie here is going to be stay at home nurse.”

  
  


Steve was satisfied as the assistant removed the pads and swabbed over the area with probably some sort of alcohol solution. While the paining joints would probably not be enjoyable, it was hell of a lot better than the side effects of some other unsuccessful drugs. As he grabbed his shirt and jacket to put back on, a notification sound rang out from Natalie's tablet.

  
  


“I sent you a list of symptoms and care taking that will probably be helpful while Steve adjusts to the drug. It can be quite uncomfortable at times, so I'd recommend he stay at home for a while.”

  
  


Natalie nodded, before opening the door and walking out Steve, who gripped her arm just a little too tight.

  
  


~ ~ ~ ~ ~

  
  


Life had been relatively normal with a live-in nurse. He had done it before, but this time, it was just a bit better. Natalie had been his friend before she was assigned to him, so she was basically getting paid to hang out with him. Instead of a business casual look, she now went for a casual and comfy look; Nurse chic. In all honesty, he had never had a sleepover in his childhood, but they probably wouldn't start braiding the hair of each other.

  
  


Natalie had taken the spare bedroom. She had brought two suitcases. One which had her clothing and personal belongings, and Steve could only guess what was in the other. She wasn't the kind of girl to need multiple pieces of luggage, so it was probably medical equipment and supplies or something.

  
  


He scoffed at the idea, causing the redhead to raise her eyebrow. She was reading through the instruction manual that had been sent to her, it was probably her fifth time now.

  
  


Steve was in his studio, brush flying over the paints and canvas as he painted the picture. It was soothing in a way, both the sound of the bristles and the vibrations the friction sent up his arm. His joints were beginning to ache, bt nothing worse than he had felt before. In fact, the pain from his previous condition was long gone now, probably due to the drugs kicking in. That blue stuff was working quickly, and Steve was thankful. The muscle soreness and tiredness was undesirable, as it required him to take painting breaks when it felt as if he couldn't even hold up the brush.

  
  


The redhead watched him paint, her attention divided between the tablet and his canvas. Steve was curious, there was absolutely no way the girl was reading through the notes again. Candy Crush? Sure, that was entirely possible, and he knew Natalie would never be caught in the act, so trying to catch her would be futile.

  
  


“It's getting late Steve. I'm going to start dinner, want anything besides the nutritious meal I'm about to make?”

  
  


Steve shook his head, hands leaping from the canvas as his brush completed its last stroke. It was finished, the piece had been finished. Sure, his wrists were hurting and aching, but he wouldn't let that take away from the golden feeling of accomplishment at his work. It was always this way, Steve felt this way whenever he completed a piece, no matter its quality.

  
  


“No, I'm fine. You really don't have to co-”

  
  


Natalie interrupted him before Steve could finish his sentence.

  
  


“I do have to. I'm in charge of your health, and you need different nutrients now that you're on the real stuff.”

  
  


Steve didn't want to fight with her, already knowing who would win. He briefly wondered what foods would enter his diet to accommodate the blue drug, hopefully, something exotic. It was boring eating carrots and broccoli every day, and bland too. Natalie left the studio, leaving the skinny blonde alone with his finished painting.

  
  


~ ~ ~ ~ ~

  
  


A few days since the initial injection, and Steve was almost regretting it. He could feel the ache in his bones, and a serious pain in his back. All of his muscles felt like they had been constantly working out, if given the choice, he'd probably go back in time to deny the offer. Natalie was doing her best to make the pain easier, but there were only so many painkillers he could take without fearing addiction. At least the food he was on had been enjoyable. While she hadn't told him the specifics, it seemed to be a very high protein diet. He was practically eating nuts with everything. Steve wasn't a vegan or anything similar, but he found most meats un-enjoyable.

  
  


The side effects were draining his creativity, and this was the longest he had ever gone without painting. It felt weird, unwelcome, like something was invading and changing his body. Maybe that meant it was working, or maybe it was all the meat he had eaten the previous night. Regardless, whatever the blue stuff, it was working. After the injection, the blonde hadn't even thought about doing a lick of exercise, but his stomach seemed to be more toned, along with other muscles in his body. This was impossible, nobody had told him anything about muscle gain. Were they testosterone shots or something? Steve didn't want his dick to shrink up, but this probably wasn't the jock kind of roids, because Bruce was somebody he trusted.

  
  


Slightly worried at the muscular gain, he called out to his live-in maid, Natalie.

  
  


“Am I supposed to be developing muscle mass?”

  
  


She swung the door open, without knocking. Curious eyes scanned over his body, not sexual, but not entirely innocent either. It was like an appraisal in a way, it made the blonde blush while attempting to cover his face from the embarrassment.

  
  


“Yes, this drug is designed to bring people to peak physical and medical performance. It can fix mostly everything. It will also give you a body builder form, so we'll need to go buy you new clothing. In a weeks time, your whole wardrobe will be comically small on you”

  
  


The idea of such a drastic change was scary, and unwelcome. He didn't sign up for this, but why was he upset? This had been what he would have killed for in his teen years, so why did he even fill just a bit uncertain? Maybe it would have been a better idea to read the legal papers, but he was beyond that now. As long as he didn't grow a second head, then maybe he'd be okay with whatever this was. Steve wondered if the change would actually happen, because there was absolutely no way a drug like that could ever exist, and if it did, it would change the world.

  
  


“Um, okay.......... When are we leaving?”

  
  


The redhead glanced at her watch, before leaving the bathroom and closing the door.

  
  


“When you finish getting dressed, there's a lot we need to do today.”

  
  


Steve fastened his belt after looping it through the hoops on the waist of his skinny jeans. He had trouble getting the legs up over the slight protrusion of muscle, but they still fit, for now at least. After applying deodorant and slipping on a gray t-shirt, he opened the door to face the girl, who currently had her back turned to him. From the looks of it, she was packing some sort of bag with items.

  
  


“I'm done now, we can go I guess. Where to first?”

  
  


She retrieved her tablet from a messenger bag that had been thrown over her shoulder. Natalie was wearing her business formal outfit, like the one from her jury duty. It was fitting for a girl like her, and beautiful in a weird way. Her hair had been curled immaculately and framed her pale face perfectly. It was a powerful look, and intimidating as well. Flicking the screen across and entering her password, she checked a list of some sort before replying.

  
  


“Stark Industries is funding you, like a sponsorship of sorts. They will be paying for your new wardrobe, in full. Don't complain about being able to afford it on your own. After that, Bruce will be doing a physical fitness test, like the one you did pre-trial.”

  
  


It was a lot of information to take in, but why was Stark Industries funding him? They were a weapons company, not anything medical related. That company took lives more so than save them, so it was possible they just wanted their name on the new drug that makes everybody perfect. Tony Stark had been voted one of the most influential men of the decade, and the hottest one too. Steve couldn't deny either of those claims, he did have a thing for the whole well groomed high class man.

  
  


“Why?”

  
  


Natalie stopped tapping her tablet, pursing her lips.

  
  


“I don't know, we're having a meeting with them after your physical fitness test.”

  
  


He groaned, not actually wanting to meet the man. Sure, the man was attractive, but he obviously had a wife and probably hated poor people or something. While he was, in fact, a philanthropist, public donations had no influence on the kindness of a person;  Steve thought the total opposite. If somebody made a public donation, it was more than likely demeaning to their personality. The blonde had nothing to wear either, as all of his clothing had pretty much been bought from the kids section at Walmart.

  
  


“Right after? I'll have time for a shower sometime in between, right?”

  
  


She nodded curtly, before talking into her Bluetooth earpiece. From what he could hear, she was ordering a ride. Steve had no reason to own a car, considering he lived in a dense city and really couldn't afford it anyway. A bike was certainly the better option, due to the fact that it took up practically no space, and could easily be chained to a pole in the garage belonging to his apartment building. The landlords were kind enough to nullify his parking spot fee so that they could have an extra spot for visitors.

  
  


“Of course. Our ride will be here momentarily, hurry up now.”

  
  


Following his orders, Steve swiftly stepped over to his coat rack, slipping on his over sized leather coat. It was chilly today, more so than usual. It was winter's last struggle against the growing heat of the sun. Furthermore, it was something that made the blonde excited for summer. At least he'd probably have a nice summer body for once in his life, thanks to drugs of course. It made Steve feel bad that he was getting muscle mass this quickly without having to put in work like normal people. He sighed as his nostrils took in the heady air of the apartment building hallway.

  
  


~ ~ ~ ~ ~

  
  


His feet were aching as they slapped against the treadmill. It felt strange and oh so wrong to be doing this. Never in his life, had Steve ran this fast, or even this long. Normally, he'd have already been stopped by an asthma attack, but now, it was different. It was delightful and it filled him with glee, no more asthma. This drug was working, so did that mean his back would finally align? Hopefully, it would look normal too, sometimes he hated the stares. No, it wasn't hate, it was loathing.

  
  


The sensors attached to his slightly defined pectoral muscles pulled uncomfortably as he ran. This was some sort of exhaustion test, and he had been running for nearly a half an hour if the clock was to be trusted. Maybe it was also some kind of psychological test about time awareness while on the drug. Regardless, Steve was very proud of himself for surviving this long.

  
  


“Very good Rogers. I'm slowing down the treadmill now. Natalie wanted me to be finished ten minutes ago, but my results were more important. Ah, don't mention that last part to her.”

  
  


Steve nodded with a chuckle, and as the treadmill slowed down, so did his running induced high. His legs weren't tired, apart from the constant muscle fatigue of course. That probably meant they would still be growing, in muscle mass and length too. Dr. Banner had measured and weighed him, and to Steve's surprise, he had gained an inch or two, along with ten pounds of muscle. There had been a weird machine that somehow calculated his fat to muscle ratio, which somehow factored into the calculation of his mass gain. It had contained a lot of techno babble, but Steve would never admit that he had zoned out for most of the speech given by his doctor.

  
  


Natalie was looking into the room impatiently, constantly glaring at the doctor. It was impressive how he kept his composure under the frightening gaze of Natalie. Steve would have cracked already if it had been him.

  
  


Finally, the doctor obliged the redhead, allowing Steve to exit with a file in his grasp. Eager hands plucked the report from his report, Natalie claiming it to be data wanted by his sponsor. It made him think, what if Stark wanted to get into the medical field? What better way than to plaster his name on a medical breakthrough? For some reason, it made him mad, being nothing more than a ticket to success. Steve was really longing for that shower, so he'd have time to get himself together before the big meeting, and also so he could remove the growing scent of sweat from his too pale skin.

  
  


They were in the apartment garage when Steve noticed it. Natalie was off somehow, as if deeply troubled by something. She was attempting to hide it, and probably wouldn't have gotten away with it if he hadn't been living with her for the past few days. He didn't want to ask, because if it was really important, she probably would have told him. It was most likely something to do with the medical report. Hopefully it wouldn't disappoint his sponsor, because they had already purchased a new closet full of clothing of various sizes. Dr. Banner had given him an estimate of his final size and measurements, therefore most of the garments were of that specific make. Steve had trouble believing it, because there was no way he could grow to be six foot. It was certainly possible though, because a lot of changes had been happening to his body recently, ones he never thought possible before. It was only a week ago that he had experienced a major asthma attack, one that had brought him to the emergency room of course.

  
  


As the duo made their way to their apartment, Steve couldn't help but notice the quick glances shot their way. It was something worrying, and probably detected by his nurse. That girl was very observant, and could have probably been a detective in another life. Maybe it was nothing, that was certainly possible as well. While he had never really thought of himself as the paranoid type, it could have been a side effect of the drugs. In all reality, his neighbors had probably just noticed his height and weight gain.

  
  


Steve reached for the doorknob, but Natalie's hand grabbed his. He looked towards the woman, an inquisitive look playing out in the whites of his eyes. The look on her face made him shiver, Natalie appeared genuinely concerned, or possibly even frightened. She leaned over, whispering into his ear.

  
  


“I left a small piece of white paper in the door hinge, it's still there, but according to your apartment schedule, housekeeping should have arrived fifteen minutes ago.”

  
  


He understood the implications, which were certainly unsettling. Not to stereotype of course, but it was generally unlikely that the housekeeping staff would have done so. No, what Natalie was implying was that somebody had entered after the cleaning crew had left, without wanting to be detected. The look on her face chilled him to the bone, but why did the redhead even do that in the first place? Steve dismissed the thoughts, which were making his head hurt with confusion.

  
  


Her whisper continued, this time with instruction.

  
  


“I'm going to open the door quickly. You stand away from sight, if anything happens, run to the clinic and meet up with Stark. Tell him everything from this point forward.”

  
  


Steve's eyes grew wide as he stepped back. Natalie had retrieved a pistol from under her skirt, it must have been strapped to her thigh or something. She held the weapon out and quickly opened the door. The sound was deafening, it took a moment for him to realize it wasn't the gun belonging to Natalie. She was on the floor, having dodge what appeared to be a large gunshot. Natalie scrambled to her feet, running towards Steve while motioning wildly for him to run. There was a large hole in the wall opposite to his apartment door, that bullet was probably meant for him.

  
  


Knowing this, Steve put his recently gained running ability to use. He was about to turn for the stairwell when Natalie threw him out the window. A moment of confusion washed over him as glass rained down beside him. It was only a one story drop, but it was still quite painful. Steve groaned audibly as people stared and gathered around him. People asked if he was okay, but he was too scared to reply. The redhead's instructions rang out into his conscious, he needed to run, but where was she? Could he go back and save her?

  
  


Steve looked up from the ground to the window form which he was thrown from. There was a man there. From the distance, Steve could make out a mask and goggles, a bullet proof vest and something metal on their left arm. There was a weapon being focused on him, and Steve barely managed to jump out of the way. After this, he heard a thud behind him. Steve had no intention of looking back to see what it was.

  
  


Hoping that Natalie had made it out okay, his feet quickly carried him from the scene and source of the thud. He weaved around buildings as he attempted to make his way towards the clinic. Why there? Wouldn't it be a better idea to go to the police or something? Surely they would have better equipment to handle whatever this was.

  
  


The footsteps behind him were picking up their pace, and would catch up to him soon. Steve was at his limit, he couldn't go any faster. In what would probably prove to be a foolish attempt at trickery, the blonde suddenly stopped and ran in the opposite direction of the man wearing the goggles. It worked, well partially anyway. Even if it was only for a moment, it gave him some extra distance, but wouldn't work again, as he had barely managed to avoid the grasp of the man's metal hand. This was absolutely terrifying, and Steve had no idea what to do; There was only so much running he could do. Steve had no weapons, no armor, nothing. He desperately wished for the Iron Man to save him or something like that, but knowing his luck, those heroes were probably fighting aliens today.

  
  


Steve turned a corner, away from five men who held guns trained on him. Where were the police? This was probably some sort of terrorist attack, and he had yet to even hear a siren. Eventually, Steve got his wish, and he silently prayed as he jumped over a parked car. They were running through a park now, it would have been peaceful, if not for the terrorist behind him. Luckily, there weren't many people in this part of the park, as it was mostly forest.

  
  


Suddenly, a hand grabbed his shoulder, Causing Steve to duck down low in an attempt to avoid the grasp. He heard the sound of something metal clicking before a hand punched at his leg. It was an attempt at rendering the blonde immobile, which was dodged of course. Steve would not go down against some terrorists, not when his life was on the edge of getting better.

  
  


Steve attempted to get off the ground, so he could take flight once more, but was pushed back down by strong arms. A buckling sound rang out as the man wearing goggles produced a knife from his belt. It was raised above the blonde, who squirmed under the impossibly strong grasp of the man.

  
  


A black shoe kicked the knife from the hand of the terrorist. Natalie used the momentum from her kick to spin herself into the air with her other shoe out. She went for a kick to the man's neck, but he was faster, grabbing her ankle in the process. The blonde squirmed under the hold of the terrorist, being only able to watch his nurse fight the attacker. He didn't bother trying to question anything at the moment, that would come later, if he survived of course.

  
  


Using her other free leg, she wrapped it around his neck while using gravity to bring them both to the ground. After two thuds, Steve got up, relishing in the ability to run.

  
  


“Go!”

  
  


He didn't, and instead, grabbed the lid of a nearby trashcan. Steve ran up to the duo who were doing the dance of combat. Their dance was interrupted by a flying trash cover. It might have been comedic, but it was a dire use of anything in Steve's surroundings. The trash cover was unexpected by the terrorist, which hit the back of his knees, causing the enemy to fall to the ground, Natalie took this opportunity to attach something to the metal arm. It flared with electricity before the man convulsed.

  
  


While the attacker was down, Both ran together, the redhead panting more than the blonde. Steve turned around, and the man was gone. The aftermath of their battle was present on the field, as the grass was charred from the electricity while the ground had multiple divots from stray punches. Even after an eternity of fleeing the scene, the two persevered. It seemed as if nobody was tailing them, but the only slowed down as they approached the clinic.

  
  


“Holy Shit...... Natalie....... I.......”

  
  


She panted while gulping down air. Her skirt had been torn and her blouse bloodied, he didn't know whose blood it was. They both crawled up the concrete steps.

  
  


“It's Natasha by the way.”

  
  


Tony Stark was waiting inside, and beside him, was Sam. Both were arguing very loudly. They stopped when the redhead and blonde entered. Everyone in the lobby stared at the dirty and bloody duo, shock silencing the room momentarily. As if on some invisible cue, they all began doing something frantically, as if following a protocol. A man rushed up to them with a medical kit in hand, while a woman began yelling at somebody in a radio. She used weird words, which were probably coded or something. This was all too much, who even was the redhead. While she had the skills to be a nurse, she obviously also had combat ability, which just complicated things even more.

  
  


Something was dabbed at his arm, it stung, but was bearable. Tony Stark interrupted the process.

  
  


“I was going to be upset at your tardiness, but I guess you're excused for now. At least we can use this situation to see how well the serum heals you.”

  
  


Steve blinked blankly.

 


End file.
